Being awake for God and for other people—that is the kind of ‘waking’
that Advent has in mind, the wakefulness that discovers the light and brightens the world.
Joseph Ratzinger (Benedict XVI)
(Rublev’s Christ circa 1420 / Icon from Svenigorod / Julie cook / 2014)
“Advent’s intention is to awaken the most profound and basic emotional memory within us,
namely, the memory of the God who became a child.
This is a healing memory; it brings hope.”
Pope Benedict XVI
(Happy Hanukkah and Advent
to all the brethren and sisters of our collective faiths)
cookiecrumbstoliveby 
[…] wakeful and hopeful […]
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Julie, I had some catching up to do with your posts. What a challenge it must be to downsize after all these years of being comfortable in one place. We moved a lot and I hated leaving people all the time but there was the advantage of continuous purging each time we moved. I have lived in my home now for over 18 years and I did some purging about four years ago as I don’t want to leave that to the children and then last winter I did some more but with COVID the charities that pick it up are not doing so. Therefore, my basement is full of things I want to give away! Prayers that this will not be too painful for you and that you will enjoy your new adventure. Blessings!